1. Unemployment will keep falling — The recession is over, and people are getting back to work — finally. The jobless rate in Jackson County stood at 7 percent in October, down 1.4 points from a year ago. Unemployment likely won't fall dramatically, but expect the economic rebound to continue providing more job opportunities locally.

2. Housing prices will begin to climb — Can they possibly fall any more? Jackson County's housing market was eviscerated during the Great Recession. Our sense is that it has at least stabilized. Prices should start to rebound.

5. Jackson County residents will continue to see lower energy bills — The natural gas boom has held down energy prices in the last few years. Consumers Energy may tack on new surcharges, but commodity prices — and the growth of wind and solar power — should be good news to customers.

7. School boards will start talking openly about consolidation — Michigan's public schools continue to struggle financially, even as they share more and more services. Our prediction is that two local school boards will start publicly mulling outright consolidation, perhaps with financial encouragement from state lawmakers.

8. Jackson Community College will find a way —Voters in November turned down a millage to help renovate Walker Hall, on JCC's campus. The college stands to lose state money for the project without some sort of local financial match. Officials will figure out some way to get it, no thanks to taxpayers.

9. Officials will give up on improving residents' attitudes — There's been plenty of talk among community leaders that Jackson residents are their own worst enemy, that negative attitudes hurt this community. We don't buy it. Sure, residents are critical when they have reason to be — and they also acknowledge this community's many assets. Jackson folks are fine.

10. A local high school basketball team will win a state title —Concord's girls team is led by seniors, and there are other good local boys and girls squads. We predict some team will catch fire and win it all. We can hope, anyway!

11. Captain Jackson will retire — The Joker is out of commission. So are the Riddler, Penguin and Two-Face. It's probably time for our masked superhero will decide to hang up his cape.

12. Jackson will NOT make national news — We had notorious stories in 2011 and then again in 2012. No local stories will provide fodder for late-night comedians. We're looking forward to a year of contented, quiet anonymity.